S.A.’s Haley cast in new comic book role. . .for TV

San Antonio’s Jackie Earle Haley is jumping from one superhero project (“Watchmen”) to another in “Human Target.”

The actor, who’s wowing audiences and critics as vigilante Rorschach/Walter Kovacs in the big-screen “Watchmen,” has taken on a new comic book role. This time, it’s for the small screen; specifically, friends say he’s in Vancouver shooting the Fox pilot, “Human Target.”

The Hollywood Reporter describes the new show based on the DC Comic this way.

” ‘Target’ centers on Christopher Chance (Mark Valley “Boston Legal” and “Fringe”), a mysterious freelancer who offers a unique form of security for hire: He assumes the identities of people in danger, becoming the ‘human target’ on behalf of his clients.”

Haley will play Chance’s information gatherer, according to the Reporter, while

Chi McBride (“Pushing Daisies”) will play Chance’s colleague and friend.

We won’t know until May, however, whether “Human Target” will be one of the pilots picked up by Fox for the fall schedule.

The comic book was made into a series once before in the early ’90s. It starred Rick Springfield and had a brief run.

If it makes it, the drama will be Haley’s first foray into TV since the former child actor (“Bad News Bears”) made his Hollywood comeback with “All the King’s Men” and “Little Children.”

In between films, Haley helps run his own production company in San Antonio: JEH Productions.